The Fall Of Balamb
by VeryTalldude
Summary: what would happen if the missile strike on balamb garden was succesful? well you're about to find out
1. Balambs sorrow

Chapter One "The Fall of Balamb"   
  
The students and staff of Balamb Garden rushed out of the building as the elite Seed soldiers prepared to defend the school many of them had lived in their entire lives. The staff herded the crowd of students away from the Garden. The school had received warnings of missiles coming toward it. The SeeD team assigned to prevent this had apparently failed. At the front of the crowd three students were yelling at the staff assigned to hold them back.  
  
"Damn it! We are SeeD too," screamed a tall young man in an oversized orange sweatshirt. The hood on his shirt bounced violently as his friends held him to prevent him from pouncing on the teachers.  
  
"I was told to keep you safe until the attack is over. Those were your father's orders Mr. Kramer," replied an instructor who stood about six inches under the 15-year-old he was barking orders at.  
  
"That man is not my father! He adopted me, and how many times must I ask you not to refer to me as Mr. Kramer? My name is Connor Mullinax. I don't give a damn what a bunch of legal papers say. My name is all I have left of my parents and I won't have it taken from me! Now Instructor Tays, I'm only going to ask you once more. Can we please get through this barricade and fight for our school?" Screamed the young man who had become red in the face.  
  
"N.." The teacher started, but he had been interrupted by a blade pressed threateningly close to his neck.  
  
"I'd think twice before answering,"said the young woman who had a six-inch dagger pressed against Instructor Tays' Adam's apple. She was fairly attractive, about 5'3. A tight green shirt with a black anarchy sign clung tightly to her sweat drenched torso. She looked like something out of a punk rocker's dreams. Her anti establishment T-shirt accented a pair of pants that were adorned with metallic loops on each of the twenty zippered pockets.  
  
"Thank you, Kris," Connor added with a smirk on his face. He normally didn't enjoy the sight of tears in a grown man's eyes, but he loathed Mr Tays. He gently took a hold of Kris' wrist and lowered it from the terrified man's neck. Then in a swift smooth motion he drew his sword and smashed Mr. Tays in the face with the handle. The other teachers were too busy to notice Connor, Kristin, and a shorter young man who had yet to speak; sneak past their barricade.  
  
As they ran toward the school, a strong gust rushed over them. They looked up in time to see what must have been hundreds of missiles streaking overhead. A terrified gaze settled upon all their faces. The other boy parted his lips to speak, but a deafening boom silenced him. The school had been hit. The blast wave knocked all three of them unconscious. A cloud of smoke spread for miles. Balamb Garden had fallen. 


	2. The Phoenixes

Authors Note: DISCLAIMER . . . ok here it goes . . . I do not own nor have I licenced the right to Square Enix's characters or games . . . Don't sue me  
  
Chapter Two  
  
The Phoenixes  
  
Connor awoke in a daze. He felt the warm trickle of blood down his cold cheek. He followed the blood trail to his forehead. There was a thick brown cloud of smoke encompassing the area in which he lay, so he felt around his hairline until he found the wound that had produced the blood. It was nothing serious; he was more worried about his friends.  
  
"Kris! Haven! Where are you?" He called into the opaque cloud.  
  
"Connor? Is that you?" Called a voice he soon recognized as Haven's.  
  
"Yeah man, where are you?" Connor responded.  
  
"Head to the left. You don't sound that far away." Haven called back at him.  
  
Connor started running to his left. After about ten seconds he tripped over human feet. He fell down and got another tear in his already tattered jeans. He crawled blindly feeling the ground in his close proximity. He came upon a body lying in the grass. It was definitely a female, probably Kris.  
  
"Haven come quick! I found Kristin!" Connor called back into the bleak fog. "Just Follow my voice!" Within a few seconds Haven had joined him. "We gotta get her outta here man. This smoke can't be good for her." Connor yelled at the silhouette he knew to belong to his roommate. Connor picked Kristin up and carried her in the direction he thought they had started out from.  
  
Haven emerged from the cloud first his dark clothing caked in dust and debris. He was followed by Connor who was carrying his other friend on his shoulders. The dust on their faces was streaked with lines where tears and blood had ran. He had been carrying her for almost five minutes and he'd yet to feel her breathe. They found a spot to set her down and they started examining her wounds. She had no signs of head injury, but she showed no signs of life either. Connor knelt down over her, crying.  
  
"She isn't dead, don't even think that man," Haven offered trying to comfort his roommate and friend. At the mention of Kristin's death Connor rested his head upon her chest and tried to hide his tears.  
  
"Heh...you aren't getting soft on me are you boy?" Kristin muttered in a pained, yet sarcastic voice. Connor sat upright, stunned.  
  
"N. . . NO! Of course not. Just trying to show Haven how not to act in this situation. You know how much of a sissy he can be," Connor mumbled, wiping the tears off his face.  
  
"Go to hell, asshole."Haven said, turning to hide the tears in his eyes. The three of them had been friends since their first year at Garden. Haven and Connor shared a dorm and Kris had the dorm across the hall, but all that would be different now. Thoughts of separation began to race through Connor's mind.He shook off the ideas of what would happen to the three of them, and rose to his feet. He walked over to Haven and punched him in the shoulder.  
  
"Buck up you fag. I'm just messing with you." Connor commented jokingly. As Kris rose a group of teachers ran toward them. "Look alive y'all, cause we're in trouble" Connor added as Instructor Tays and a few others ran toward him. Mr. Tays' nose was very swollen and purple, but oddly it was an improvement.  
  
"Good lord! Are you okay?" Mr. Tays asked with fear and excitement in his voice. Connor was a little shocked by his question. He lived for trouble and was looking forward to the punishment for assaulting an Instructor.  
  
"Uh yeah we're fine. Aren't you going to get onto us for knocking you out?" Connor asked, still trying to press a few of Tays' buttons.  
  
"Sometimes a bad thing done for good reasons is a good thing. I didn't want to stay back either. I just don't have your flare for breaking the rules. I think for once I can let you slide. Now come on; your fath . . . Cid is waiting for you in town." Mr. Tays and Connor had a new respect for each other. They both wanted to rebel, but Connor had the guts to do it. Connor, Kris, Haven, Mr. Tays, and three other teachers climbed into a rented van, and headed toward downtown Balamb.  
  
They stopped in front of the Seaside hotel in Balamb. The seven of them climbed out of the van and walked up to the penthouse suite where Cid had formed a makeshift headmaster's office. What is it with this man and the top floor? Connor thought as they walked into the lavish suite that was bustling with instructors and students trying to bring order to the madness. In the back of the room Cid Kramer sat behind a desk. Two guys Connor's age and a young woman of the same were lined up behind Cid.  
  
"Son! Thank the lord. You're all right." Cid exclaimed as he rose to hug his adopted son.  
  
"Yeah, we are, but DON'T hug me. I'll be forced to hurt you." Connor said with extreme sincerity.  
  
"Hmph same old Connor. Anyway, these two young men are SeeD officers. This is Zell Dincht, and the quiet one shooting me a look behind my back is Squall, and thi." He was cut off by an enthusiastic young woman in a black skirt and a blue full length nit jacket (Author: the clothes may be off im not huge on details).  
  
"This is Rinoa Heartilly." The young woman interrupted. Cid looked ticked. Connor liked her already. "I'm not SeeD but I've got a share in this adventure same as y'all."  
  
"Indeed, not to sound impatient but why aren't we taking action right now? I mean damn they destroyed our garden. Galabadia must pay!" Kristin cut in.  
  
"You're quite right Ms. Davie. That's why I called you all in here. Mr. Lewis, Mr. Dincht, Mr. Leonheart, Ms. Heartilly, and you will be investigating the missile base in Galabadia." Cid responded calmly.  
  
"Like hell, I'm going too! You do not control me! The seeds who died trying to shield the school were my friends and classmates. I won't sit idly by and let other people fight this war!" Connor exclaimed, outraged by Cid's audacity.  
  
"You may not agree, but I am your legal guardian and I say you stay here. The Phoenixes do not need your hot-headed ill tempered fighting style." Cid responded.  
  
"Phoenixes? Ha sounds kind of gay to me." Haven said as he stood his ground next to his friend. "I won't do it without Connor. It's a package deal bud." Kris took her place by her friends, and smirked at the shocked headmaster.  
  
"Fine, but don't cry to me when he gets himself killed." Cid said with a hurt face.  
  
"Fine," Connor said shrugging. The team left the room in a single file. Cid took his place behind his desk and began to beat his head against it. 


	3. Inner Demons

Chapter Three  
  
Inner Demons  
  
Connor found him self running down an empty hallway that he had never seen before. He was running from or toward something, but he couldn't recall what it was. Dirty windows let only a few rays of sunlight in the corridor, which gave it an all together eerie feeling. As he reached the end of the hall, a voice called to him. The voice was familiar but he couldn't make out the words. He knew the voice belonged to his friend Kristin, and as he ran it got clearer.  
  
"Don't. Pen. Nor. RUN!" were the only words he could make out to begin with, but he soon reached the end of the hall and came to a large cast-iron door. "TURN AROUND CONNOR! RUN! NO! DON'T OPEN THE DOOR!" cried Kris' voice has he turned the knob. Before he could heed the warning, the partially open door blasted opened with such force that Connor had been knocked to the floor.  
  
He rose and walked toward the open doorway. As he crossed the threshold a vison of Kris flashed before him, and vanished. The next vision was clearer than the other, Kristin had been more of a shadow, but the man who stood before him was a solid being. He recognized the young man who stood before him, and was shocked when he came to the realization that the blood soaked, battle-scarred youth who stood before him was a twisted version of himself. There was something different about this version of Connor. He had an evil smirk on his face, and despite his tattered appearance he looked pleased with himself.   
  
"I'm coming back Connor, and there is nothing you can do to stop me! You've suppressed me for too long, but I'm coming, and hell is coming with me." Whispered distorted Connor's voice, but his lips had not parted. The voice seemed to have come from within his head, and for some reason its' sound had enraged Connor. He swung to hit the image of himself, but it vanished as he made contact. Connor stumbled with the missed punch, and fell into a pit of nothingness. As he hurdled, visions of his teammates began to rush by him. Each one lay dead, some mutilated and bleeding from gashes and cuts. Others reduced to an almost unrecognizable pulp. He stopped falling but he had not landed on anything. He was being held up, but he felt no force. He squinted to see a glimmer of light further down the pit in which he had been falling. The light got bigger, and moved faster. It was coming straight at him, and he could not move to avoid it. As the light got closer it began to take shape. It was exactly as he had feared, the light, the image, was Kris' dead body. . .It vanished and was replaced by the face of the other Connor. He smirked and the omniscient voice rang "She's mine now!"  
  
"NO! YOU CAN'T HAVE HER!" Connor screamed as he awoke in a cold sweat. He was sitting up in his room in the Balamb hotel. He heard a loud crack as his door came busting down. Light flooded the dark suite. In the doorway stood the entire Phoenix squad, in their pajama's.  
  
"What's wrong?" Kris asked. Connor became terrified. These were the people he had seen dead thirty seconds ago. He rolled out of bed and stumbled to get his pants on. Instinctively, he turned and ran from his teammates. He wasn't sure why but their presence scared him. He ran out onto the balcony.  
  
"Connor, get away from that ledge." Squall said in a rushed voice. Connor turned away from his friends and hopped up onto the guard rails. He stripped off his night shirt, and took a swan dive into the ocean below.  
  
"CONNOR! NO!" Kristin screamed.  
  
"With this tide and the water being that cold he will never survive." Zell said, watching the waves beat violently against the rocky coast.  
  
"DON'T SAY THAT. DON'T EVER FUCKING SAY THAT!" Kris exclaimed as she picked Zell up by the collar of his PJ's. "Say that again, and I'll throw you down there with him."  
  
"Ok! Jeez, you're crazy. You know that right?" Zell responded as she set him down. She was about six inches shorter than he, but she was angry enough to lift him a foot over her head.  
  
"Maybe I am. So we look for him, cause noone wants to piss the crazy lady off!"Kris screamed as she walked towards the doorway of the room. "Please let him be ok!" She thought as she ran down the stairs. When she got outside, and down to the beach she saw Connor's body lying bloodied and beaten upon a rock on the shore. She screamed in terror. She knew that he had to be dead.  
  
"He fell about 5 stories into freezing water. It's a miracle he is still alive" Said a paramedic as they rushed him to the hospital. He was alive, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to be. 


	4. Escape

Chapter 4  
  
Escape  
  
Cid listened as the Phoenixes explained the situation with Connor. Cid's head hung in guilt as he thought of the last thing he had said to his adopted son.  
  
"Don't come crying to me when you end up dead." The words kept racing through his brain. He had a knack for being right all of the time, but for once he wanted to be wrong. He knew the team was counting on him, so he raised his head, and regained composure.  
  
"Listen, You are to visit Dr Kadowoki (Authors note: can't remember how to spell that) the hospital. Ask them if they think he is ready to be discharged. I cannot stress how important it is that Connor does not find out. You know how strong willed he is. If he finds you're leaving, he will be hell bent on leaving with you." Cid spoke with a tone of urgency. He couldn't allow Connor to go on this mission. In his weakened state he could fall to a worse fate than the one he was suffering from now.  
  
Squall nodded, as if accepting the orders on behalf of the entire group. Kristin was not at this meeting, she had stayed behind to watch after Connor. As they were walking out of the hotel Haven turned and looked at the window of Cid's penthouse office.  
  
"This isn't fucking right, the mission should be postponed until Connor is better. He wanted revenge more than any of us, and now that pompous ass of a headmaster is gonna tell him he can't go." He screamed.   
  
"Dude, chill. It's obvious after last night that Connor and Kristin are crazy. I think we are better off without him, now if we could only convince her to stay." Zell said, placing his hand on Haven's shoulder. Haven screamed and grabbed Zell's hand, flipping him over his shoulder, and slamming him onto the ground. Haven pulled a pistol from his coat, and pressed it to Zell's temple.   
  
"Now I want you to listen very closely. I will not go on this mission without both of my friends, and if you ever call one of them crazy again. You won't go either. Got it?" Haven exclaimed with a twitch in his eye.  
  
"O-O-k man, chill out. I was just kidding, no need to get all pissed. Now put the gun away. I don't want to die, not here man." Zell begged for his life as the barrel of the gun dug into his forehead. Haven un-cocked the hammer on his gun and placed it back in the holster that hung by his side.  
  
Enraged that no one else thought Connor should partake in the mission, Haven ran towards the hospital to give him warning, but as he walked through the revolving door, sirens blared and doors locked. A voice called over the PA system  
  
"By order of Headmaster Cid Kramer this facility has been placed under lock down," said a monochromatic female recording. "Remain calm, order will be restored shortly." People were shocked by the sirens, but they seem to have resumed their tasks without a second thought.  
  
"Damn, they warned Cid I was coming!" Haven thought as he made his way to his friend's hospital room. He was amazed to find that with all the security, no guards were placed at Connor's door. As he walked in the room he was pleased to see that the alarm had no bothered his companions. Kristin had fallen asleep on the bed, and Connor had moved to a chair, where he was sitting listening to his Mp3 player.  
  
"Hey man." Connor said in a half-sedated whisper. "Be quiet, Kris has just gotten to sleep."  
  
"Dude, didn't you hear the alarm?" Haven exclaimed, in a whisper. He had awoken Kris from her slumber once and it was not an experience he desired to relive.  
  
"Uhhh no..." Connor whispered. He had become more alert and intrigued. "What's going on?"  
  
Haven explained about the meeting in Cid's office and the confrontation outside of the hotel.  
  
"Damn him! I knew Cid didn't want me to go, but I never thought he'd resort to this. We got to get out of here. I'll go into the bathroom and get dressed. You wake Kris." Connor said, rising from his chair and walking towards the bathroom.  
  
"I DON'T think so." Haven said. Throwing Connor his jeans and walking out of the room. Connor glared at the closed door. "Son of a bitch, make me wake her up. I don't feel like getting another concussion this week." Connor thought to himself as he buttoned up his jeans.   
  
"KILL HIM." Said the voice that had echoed in Connor's head the night before.   
  
"SHUT UP!" Connor screamed. A throwing knife flew by his head, barely grazing his ear.  
  
"Shit Kris! Do ya sleep with one of them damn things under the pillow?" He exclaimed, wiping the blood off of his fingers.  
  
"Wha-what's going on?" Kris said. Her eyes wide with fear. She had nightmares, so waking her was always an adventure.  
  
"No time to explain. We just gotta get out of here now." Connor said as he opened the door, and yanked Haven back in the room.  
  
"Heh. You survived." Haven said with a smirk. "So what's the plan?" He asked, regaining the serious attitude the room seemed enveloped in.  
  
"We Jump," Connor said, glancing up at the window. "It's only a story down, and it over looks the beach. The sand will break our..."  
  
"NECKS?" Haven cut in.  
  
"FALL." Connor finished, looking rather pissed off. "Buuuuut...if you ain't up to it..."  
  
"Fuck you let's go!" Haven exclaimed, running toward the open window. He jumped, and spun around, so he could land on his back. The soft sand cushioned the fall. He scurried out of the way as Kris came flying out of the window above. She landed in the same spot as he had and quickly moved to make room for Connor. Connor's fall was more controlled than the others' had been. He did not flail his arms or scream, and his landing was near perfect. He landed on his feet and tumbled forward.  
  
"Woo that was some fun!" Kris exclaimed as they ran down the street towards where the others were supposed to be leaving from. "We've got about 10 minutes before the chopper leaves for the missile base." She explained while jogging with the boys towards the helicopter landing zone.  
  
They reached the helicopter as Zell, Squall, and Rinoa were boarding it. Zell started to say something, but Haven reached toward his holster, and Zell shut his mouth.  
  
"Zell, wanna tell Connor what you said about him? Or even better, what you said about Kris?" Haven said with a smirk, as the chopper took off.  
  
"Haven, wanna kiss my ass?" Zell said, puffing out his chest a little bit.  
  
"Ok! We get it you everyone has a big willy. Now can we stop this pissing contest, and get to work?" Rinoa cut in. Screaming to be heard over the roaring engine of the aircraft.  
  
The helicopter flew off into the setting sun. Connor had survived a lot of trauma in the last few days, and he knew things were only gonna get worse. 


	5. Death

Chapter 5  
  
Death  
  
" Connor, what was with you last night?" That was the question that was burning in everyone's heads. Haven and Zell kept glaring at each other while Squall and Rinoa explained what the plan was once we hit Galabadia.  
  
"Zell and Connor will wait by the gate while the rest of us penetrate the base, and find our fallen comrades." Squall said, in a strong low voice. Connor started to protest guard duty, but Kris shot him a look that shut him up.   
  
"Kris and I will be guarding the door into the facility. In case the first team fails." Rinoa said with a hint of nervousness.  
  
"I know I won't," Zell said in a cocky tone. "But my partner might have issues. Can't have him, having another bad dream and running away, now can I?"  
  
"You got a problem with me?" Connor asked, with a twitch in his eye.  
  
"Yeah, you're fucking crazy, and frankly I don't trust you." Zell said, standing up. He stood in front of Connor, who was still sitting.  
  
"Ha. You wanna fight, little man?"Connor said rising. Connor stood and Zell seemed to lose a little of his nerve. Connor was about six inches taller than he, and he had to outweigh him by 100 pounds. He leaned down to Zell's ear and whispered a warning. "You're right. I am crazy, so watch your step."  
  
Squall jumped in the middle of the two young men and shoved them both back onto the seats.  
  
"If you two don't stop this shit, I'm gonna recommend your dismissals from SeeD." Squall said. Connor nodded and joined Haven in glaring at Zell.  
  
"Ok. We're coming up on the base. Get ready to jump." Squall screamed, over the sound of the open door of the helicopter. Everyone gathered their weapons and equipment, and lined up for the jump.   
  
"That's a nice sword." Rinoa said.  
  
" You think so?" Connor said smiling. "Thanks. It was my dad's. He killed thirty-three men with it, in one day. They attacked him, and he killed all of them, except for one . . . " The smile faded from his face.  
  
"Well what happened to the thirty-fourth? Did your dad leave him alive to tell the tale?" Rinoa asked as the chopper began to descend.  
  
"Not exactly, this is where it gets fuzzy for me. I remember the first thirty-three, but I blacked out the memory of number thirty-four. I remember watching number thirty-three fall, and then seeing my dad on the ground . . . dead." He replied, with a tear in his eye. "The men where Galabadian soldiers. That's why this mission is so important to me."  
  
"I shouldn't have asked . . . sorry," Rinoa said, in a saddened voice.  
  
The helicopter hovered six feet off the ground. As the last member of the team landed, the Galabadian army emerged from the gates of their base. Their guns were cocked and their armor was shining.  
  
Connor smirked, and drew his sword. Squall had his Gunblade ready as well. Zell slipped on a pair of steel-laden gloves. Rinoa was holding her pinwheel, poised for attack. Haven had taken his guns out of their holsters, and Kris had her hand on her stash of throwing knives. The soldiers opened fire on them, but they were obviously not very well trained. The Phoenixes began rushing at the defending soldiers. Squall and Connor lead the pack, deflecting bullets with their blades. Kris had cast Shell, but a few shots had penetrated the magic barrier. As they came face to face with the twenty or so soldiers, the Shell broke and the onslaught began. Squall and Connor began slicing at their enemies with intensity. Rinoa's pinwheel flew past Connor's ear three or four times. He had been removing it from fallen soldiers and tossing it back to her. Haven conserved his shots, he was fighting smart. Kris' knives flew past Squall's head on occasion, killing three of their enemies. Zell's hand to hand combat only claimed the life of one soldier. He was a strong fighter, but not strong enough.  
  
When the smoke cleared, all of the Phoenixes were still standing, and the G-soldiers had all fallen. The team had sustained a few mild injuries, but nothing that would stop them now. Connor and Zell took their places inside the gate and the others continued on into the main building of the massive base.  
  
"Ha. Looks like you didn't do so hot there, bud." Connor said, laughing at Zell's bloodied nose, and lacerated forearm.  
  
"Shut up!" Zell exclaimed, swinging to punch Connor.  
  
Inside the base, the second squad wasn't met with much resistance. A few sentries and a guard outside of the room where the last team was being held. As the door to the prison opened a stench filled their noses. The dead bodies of Irvine Kinneas, a marksman from another garden, and Selphie Tillmitt, a SeeD officer from Balamb, were chained to the side walls. In the back of the torture chamber, strapped to a stretching rack, was Instructor Quistis Trepe. She was still alive.  
  
"Squall. It's Instructor Trepe! She's alive." Haven exclaimed. He took out his pocket knife and sliced the ropes that held her. She was unconscious, so Squall carried her out of the base. As they walked out of the main building Kris and Rinoa rejoined them. As they made it back to the gate they saw Connor standing over a dead body weeping. As they got closer they recognized the body, it was Zell.  
  
"I-I don't know what happened. He swung at me, and I blacked out. When I woke up he was dead, and I was covered in his blood." Connor exclaimed, drying his eyes.  
  
"Give it up! We all know you hated him!" Rinoa screamed as they tied him up.  
  
"I hated him, but not that much! Kris, You know me! I DID NOT KILL HIM!" Connor screamed as they tightened the ropes around his arms. Kris began to cry. She couldn't bring her self to look at him. When the chopper arrived they threw Connor in the cargo bay. He was alone again . . . everyone he cared about thought he was a murderer, and he wasn't sure he disagreed. The helicopter started, and they headed back to Balamb. 


	6. Deception

Chapter 6  
  
Deception  
  
The guard watched as his prisoner's eyes opened. He had a class with Connor, before Garden was destroyed, but the eyes of this guy weren't the same soft blue as the boy he knew. They had darkened, to almost black, and although he was tied up, he looked pleased with himself.  
  
"Excuse me, but where are we?" Connor spoke, in a deep, gruff voice. The guard looked confused, he knew the man he was holding under arrest, and something was different in his voice, and eyes.  
  
"You have been placed under arrest, by order of Cid Kramer," said the confused guard.  
  
"YOU BASTARD! Get out of my body!" Screamed Connor's real voice, from within his head. The alternate Connor looked pained by the shallow threats.  
  
"It's my body now." He whispered with a chuckle in his voice.  
  
"What did you say?" The young guard asked, with a whimper.  
  
"Oh never mind . . . Unless you intend on being some help, you may leave now." Connor replied.  
  
" I will not tolerate that kind of talk from you, convict." The guard threatened. Connor rushed the glass and screamed at the guard. His contorted face was pressed against his plexiglass cell. The guard jumped, and scurried out of the room.  
  
"That's right coward! RUN! WOO!" Connor exclaimed wildly. "Now what to do about this annoying voice in the back of my head?" He said with a smirk.  
  
"FUCK YOU!" Screamed the real Connor.  
  
"Heh. In your dreams," replied his imposter. "Now her . . . "He whispered, as Kris walked in the room.  
  
"YOU LEAVE HER ALONE!" Connor's real voice rang within his head.  
  
"Hey Kris," said the imposter, in Connor's regular voice, as his eyes lightened.  
  
"Hi. Look. I came to tell you that I don't think you did it." Kris said.  
  
"That's good, but there isn't anything we can do about it now." He replied.  
  
"Yeah there is, step back." Kris said with a smirk. Connor stepped back from the glass with a confused look. Kris waved her hand, and the wall of the cell exploded. "See. There are advantages to having a sorceress as a friend."   
  
"There sure are, let's get out of here." Connor said. " What about the guard?" He asked in an unsure voice.  
  
"Haven has him covered." She said as they ran down the jailhouse corridor. They stopped at the door to the Guards' Station.  
  
"Thank you for this." The imposter said with a self-assured smirk.  
  
"Anytime. You know I love you like a brother," she said smiling.  
  
"A brother? Nah," He said, leaning in to kiss her. She leaned toward him, and then backed away.  
  
"I'm sorry I just can't." Kris said in an uncomfortable voice. "Not now at least. Sorry!"  
  
"Goddamn it!" He thought. " It's ok. Don't worry about it." The imposter lied to Kristin. He had wanted very much to kiss her, and was kind of hurt when she didn't. The real Connor was confused, he had wanted to kiss her too, but he was glad that she resisted. The imposter didn't deserve her.  
  
"Ok, let's get out of here!" Kris exclaimed, breaking the awkward silence. They opened the door to find Haven standing over the unconscious guard. He laughed uncomfortably and joined them in fleeing the station. As they neared the door, a second guard emerged from the restroom.  
  
"STOP!" He screamed at the escaping prisoner. He drew his pistol and warned again "Stop or I will be forced to fire!" They continued to run away from him. A shot rang, and Haven collapsed onto the ground. Connor fell as well, but he hadn't been hit. The real Connor forced his way to the surface, and crawled to his dead friend's side. He began to cry, but stopped as the guard ran after them. He removed Haven's pistol from his side and opened fire on their pursuer.  
  
"SON OF A BITCH!" He screamed as he emptied the clip into the police officer. Kristin looked shocked, yet satisfied.  
  
"Leave him. We have to get to Deling City." Kris screamed, trying to lift the massive Connor. "Squall and Rinoa are on their way there as we speak. They are going to attempt to assassinate the sorceress, Edea." She continued. "They're going to need our help." Connor stood, and dried his eyes.  
  
"Right, let's go. We've got some stuff to talk about on the way." He said, gaining composure. They disguised themselves as elderly people and boarded the train to Deiling. Connor had to explain his problem to Kris, and he wasn't sure if she would understand. 


	7. Passion

Chapter 7  
  
Passion  
  
Kris and Connor boarded the train. They knew the police would be looking for them, so they put on a couple of large cloaks, and registered for a private cabin under the name of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, an elderly couple they meet in Dollet during their SeeD exam. As they made their way to the cabin, they were passed by a group of suspicious looking men. Connor followed them with his eyes until they entered the next car of the train. They found their cabin, and were shocked as they walked in. They had heard the cabins were nice, but this was unbelievable.  
  
"Wow," Kris said. " We have a couch and a bunk bed. I get top!" She said laughing.  
  
"Yeah it is really nice," Connor said unenthusiastically. "We need to talk about something" He continued uneasily.  
  
"Yeah I know," Kris said in an embarrassed manner. She walked toward him and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. He was shocked.  
  
"Wha-what are you doing?" He stuttered.  
  
"What I should have done at the police station," She said, kissing him again. He didn't pull away this time, instead he bent down and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around him as they passionately kissed. He set her down on the bed and took his shirt off, she followed suit and removed her shirt. He climbed into the bed with her and . . .   
  
(Authors note: im not going into any more detail . . . It'd be weird . . . use your imaginations . . . )  
  
"Wow!" He said out of breath.  
  
"Yeah," She replied, lying next to him. Their moment was interrupted by a gun shot that rang from the next car.  
  
"Great!" He exclaimed sarcastically. He climbed out of the bed and began to dress. "You didn't happen to bring my sword did you?" He asked, pulling on his wrinkled T-shirt.  
  
"No, Cid has it locked up," She replied. "I'm sorry."  
  
"It's not your fault," He said, scanning the room for a possible weapon. He walked to the foot of the bed, and snapped the metal post out from in between the bunks. "This will have to do until I can get to a weapon shop." He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be back."   
  
He turned and ran into the hall. He could hear men screaming orders at hostages, and women shrieking in terror. He stepped out onto the car connector, and climbed a ladder onto the top of the car. He walked along the top of the train, trying to hear the men below, but the wind was too strong, he had to see what was going on. He slid down the side of the car, using a maintenance safety rail to hold his feet.   
  
He peaked into the Dining car, the suspicious men he had noticed before were holding the crew of the train hostage, they were armed with submachine guns, and wore hooded cloaks to hide their identities. He thought it was hopeless, but he had to try anyway. He climbed back up onto the top, and began to make his way to the front. The three men were toward the back of the car, so he would make his entrance at the front to prevent being seen. He quietly entered the train, and pulled the metal rod out of his sword's scabbard, it was much too small for the large holster, but he made due. He snuck into the kitchen and listened to the commotion in the next room. He scoured the kitchen looking for anything else he could use as a weapon. He removed a knife from a drawer, and used some duct tape he had found to convert the metal bed pole into a homemade spear.  
  
"I should have been a boy scout." He thought. He heard footsteps approaching the kitchen. With his spear in hand he ducked by the door, poised for attack. One of the men walked into the kitchen, Connor sprung toward the man, and skewered him with the blade of the knife. He pulled the spear from his adversary's skull and wiped the blood from the blade. Connor stole the dead man's gun, and made his way toward the others.   
  
"Where is Johnson?" He heard one of the men say.  
  
"I don't know, sir!" Said the second. "Would you like me to check?" He asked his superior.  
  
"Whatever," The first man said dismissing the second. "Now come on people," He said to the captive crew. " One of you had to see these two people. The guy is six and a half feet tall, they're kinda hard to miss. They might have been dressed in SeeD uniforms. The girl is five foot three, shoulder length brown hair. Dammit one of you had to have seen them,"  
  
Connor heard the footsteps of the second man approach the corner he was hiding in. He didn't want to fire upon him, because he didn't need the attention. Instead, he used the spear again. He hid the second body, and collected more ammo for the gun. He burst into where the hostages were being held.  
  
"I'm right here, bud!" He screamed at the last man. The man threw off his cloak, revealing his identity. It was Seifer Almasy, a former student of Balamb Garden. Squall and Rinoa told Connor that Seifer had betrayed them and joined forces with the sorceress.   
  
"Ah you must be Connor," He said with a smirk. "Nice to meet you." He said as he drew his gunblade. "Now, where is your little girlfriend?"  
  
"Right behind you." Kris said, walking into the car. She had her daggers in her hands, and was ready to send one flying at Seifer's head. Connor smiled at her, she was really the only reason he agreed to go on this mission. He didn't care if Rinoa and Squall died, and he wasn't sure who Edea was.  
  
"Alright then, let's party!" Seifer exclaimed. He flipped backwards and landed facing Kris. Instinctively, she slashed at him with a dagger, slicing his overcoat. Connor rushed forward, and struck him in the back of the head with his staff. Seifer collapsed. "No! I am the Sorceress' Knight, I cannot be defeated!" He screamed. He stood up, shaking off the pain from the blow to the head. "Now you die!"  
  
"Seifer!" A man screamed, from behind Kristin. It was Squall, Rinoa followed him into the car.  
  
"Damn! I wasn't expecting this much company. Looks like im gonna have to go!" Seifer said with a nervous chuckle. He did a back-flip out of the window of the train, and as he flew out of the speeding car he screamed, "Kill ya later!" Connor glared at Squall.  
  
"What are you two doing here?" He asked.  
  
"We could ask you the same question!" Rinoa exclaimed.  
  
"Cid knew you would escape. He told us to board the train, and wait on you." Squall said in his boring, serious tone.  
  
"So the sorceress thing was a ploy?" Kris asked him.  
  
"No, We are going to kill Edea, but we can't do it alone." Squall said, throwing Connor his sword. "Cid said to tell you, 'Give 'em hell son!'."  
  
Connor muttered something along the lines of, "Im not his son", but his complaints faded as he realized that Cid didn't care he had killed a man. He smiled, and began to restore order to the train. They told the crew to get back to work, and they walked back to Connor and Kris' cabin.  
  
Rinoa gawked at Kris' bra hanging off the broken bed post.  
  
"Not a word!" Kris exclaimed as the train made it's way toward Deling City. Connor wondered why Edea had sent Seifer to kill him, but he decided it didn't matter because he hadn't succeeded.  
  
(Author's Note, "OK I know it sucks, but thanks for reading this far...read and review!) 


	8. Assassins

Chapter 8  
  
Assassins  
  
Kris rushed around the room, picking up the mess they had made earlier. Squall settled down on the couch, and Rinoa plopped down beside him.  
  
"So, Connor, what is going on with you?" Rinoa asked. Squall looked at her, as if to say "Shut the hell up!".  
  
"Yeah well I guess I could start at the hotel in Balamb . . . " He told them about the dream, and the voice, and Zell's murder. "And that is what I wanted to talk to you about, Kris. Not that other thing, but it was great anyway."  
  
"Oh," Kris looked embarrassed. Rinoa snickered, and soon found her blouse pinned to the couch by one of Kris' knives. "Is something funny?" Kris said with a twitch.  
  
"No, I'm sorry!" Rinoa said, pulling the dagger from the couch. "Connor, you need to talk with Cid about this." Connor started to say something, but Rinoa continued. "I know you don't like him, but he is a wise man, and could probably help you."  
  
"Whatever, so what exactly is this mission we are on?" Connor asked.  
  
"We were dispatched to kill Edea once before, and failed. Cid has decided that we must finish her off, because she is a very dangerous woman." Squall explained.  
  
"How does Cid know she is a dangerous woman?" Kris asked.  
  
"They are married." Squall said calmly.  
  
"WHAT!?!" Connor exclaimed. "That would make her my adopted mother."  
  
"Yeah, it would" Squall replied. "You still gonna carry out the mission?"  
  
"Why not?" Connor replied. The train pulled into the station at Deling. They gathered their things, and walked out into Deling City. The bustling metropolis felt cold and heartless. It was almost noon, and they all decided that it'd be best to wait until nightfall to strike. They rented a room at the hotel in town and settled in for a long day of plan making.  
  
Squall had designed a plan for Rinoa and himself to confront the sorceress directly, and Connor and Kris would be waiting by the back entrance of her chamber, they hoped the four to one ratio would be enough to defeat her, but Connor had his doubts. At 9:30 the team made their way to the Presidential Manor.  
  
"Good luck you two." Rinoa said as they split up at the gate.  
  
"Back at ya!" Connor exclaimed as he began to scale the fence to the back courtyard. He felt a sudden gust of wind lifting him off of the fence, and hurdling him over it. He landed in the soft grass, and looked up in time to see Kris floating down toward him. "You're getting good at that." He said as she landed.  
  
"Thanks, It's this place. I felt a sudden surge of power as it came in to view. There's some weird shit going on here." Kris replied, levitating their gear over the fence. "The jailhouse wall was a fluke, I just meant to open the door."  
  
"Shh!" Connor exclaimed. They grabbed their weapons and leaned tight against a wall of the manor. A guard was making his nightly rounds. Kris began to wave her hand.  
  
"Want me to take care of him?" She whispered excitedly.  
  
"No!" He whispered back. "You're really starting to worry me." She looked confused. "Look, just let me handle this part." He whispered. Then he ran across the courtyard tackling the guard and knocking him out.  
  
"Just like a man," Kris scoffed as they made their into the building. "Okay, according to Squall's directions the stairway to the roof should be right here." She said as they reached a large metal door.  
  
"Hmm. 'Roof Access'. Think this is the door?" He said sarcastically. She smacked his chest and told him to shut up. They climbed about seven flights of stairs, and by the end both of them were a little out of breath. They walked to the edge of the roof, which overlooked the balcony that led to Edea's chamber. They reached the roof in time to hear Squall screaming.  
  
"RINOA! NO! SEIFER YOU BASTARD!" 


	9. Separation

Chapter 9  
  
Separation  
  
Connor and Kris jumped from the ledge onto the balcony that led to the bedroom. They rushed into the Sorceress' chamber. Connor had to fight tears as he saw Squall kneeled in a pool of blood, cradling Rinoa's corpse. His clothing was soaked in her blood, and his face was streaked with tears. A woman stood in the center of the room. She was beautiful, but frightening. A confused look was etched on her alabaster face.  
  
"Seifer!" She exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, Sorceress?" He said, cowering in the corner.  
  
"You are of no more use to me, boy!" She said in a condescending tone. She started to cast a spell on him, but was beaten by Kris. Edea was sent flying across the room. She collided with a wall and collapsed to the floor. Connor rushed to Squall's side.  
  
"What happened?" He said, placing a hand on Squall's shoulder.  
  
"Seifer," Squall replied, he stood up and removed Connor's hand. "We were fighting, she tried to stop us, and . . . " He began to cry. Connor had never seen Squall open up like this. It was kind of scary. Angered Squall raised his gunblade and lunged toward Seifer, but something stopped him. Edea had regained consciousness, and had frozen Squall in place.  
  
"The boy is mine," She growled.  
  
"I'm not a bo . . . " Seifer was cut off by one of Kris' knives. The dagger lodged in his forehead, and blood spilled onto the floor. He collapsed, and Edea smiled.  
  
"Thank you," She said with a smile. "He compromised my mission, but you may be able to  
  
help." Kristin looked puzzled by Edea's comment. Connor rushed to Kris' side.  
  
"To take her, you gotta get through me!" He said with a smirk. Edea glared at him.  
  
"Ah. You must be her knight." Edea said with an evil smirk. "You may be of some use too." With that remark her eyes glowed, and her mouth opened, wider than humanly possible. A black mist flowed from her mouth, and it traveled toward Kris and Connor. Connor drew his sword and began to hack at the mist, but it was unaffected. It swarmed Kristin and her eyes began to blacken. She collapsed in pain, and her clothing began to change.  
  
Her T-shirt was replaced by a black silk blouse, her pants transformed into a flowing black skirt. Her skateboard shoes were turned to heels, and the skirt fell over them. Her brown hair grew out to her feet and turned jet-black. Her flowing black hair twisted itself into a bun and was covered by a horned headdress.  
  
Edea had transformed as well, her eyes had turned blue, and her hair had receded to her shoulders. Her clothing was similar to what Kristin had been wearing before, and her nails shrank and the black polish on them had faded. Connor looked perplexed.  
  
"Kris?" He asked with a quiver in his voice. She shook her head menacingly and pointed at Connor. He collapsed in agony, his head felt like it was splitting in two, and his eyes burned. A demented laughter rang in his head, and in an instant, he was gone. The evil entity had consumed him, and he wasn't sure if he would ever regain his body. The imposter stood and joined Kris's side. Squall ran toward them, and they vanished in a whiff of black smoke. 


	10. Allegiances

Chapter 10  
  
Allegiances  
  
Connor and Kris reappeared in a dark, misty plain. The grey smoke brought them to this place seemed to be drifting in the air.  
  
"Where are we?" Connor spoke, in a menacing tone.  
  
"We are in the everlasting plains, an area between periods in time." Kris said. "Don't be afraid, no one will find us here."  
  
"I've heard of this place in stories. It's a realm that the dead pass through before moving on right?" Spoke the new inhabitant of Connor's body.  
  
"Yes," she said softly. Her voice was evil, yet comforting. They were interrupted by the sound of a young woman screaming  
  
"CONNOR! KRIS!" Screamed the young woman. They automatically recognized the shadow that spoke to them. It was Rinoa. Kris' eyes widened in shock she waved her hand, and Rinoa's shadow faded.  
  
"It's a shame to let a spirit linger in Limbo." Kris said smiling. "What's bothering you, my boy? I can sense your anger."  
  
"She called me Connor," He winced at the name.  
  
"What is your name child?" Kristin asked, intrigued.  
  
"You may call me Lucas," He said smiling. "That is what I called the last time I reigned over these worthless mortals."  
  
"I am called Ultimecia, among other things." She said in a demented tone. "I am a sorceress from the future, with the power to control sorceresses throughout time."  
  
"Why waste your time with this girl? From what I've seen she holds no special power." Lucas asked with a confused look in his dark blue eyes. "Surely there are more powerful sorceresses in this time."  
  
"I'm afraid you are mistaken. This body holds the power to resurrect and control the dead, and the power to sense others' emotions." Ultimecia said in a self assured tone.  
  
"How is that I. . ." He started  
  
"Garden has been binding her powers, Cid's choice no doubt." She injected.  
  
"I will never get used to that," Connor responded, he wasn't sure he wanted her in his mind.  
  
"Very well, I will stay out of your thoughts. Come, we have much to do. . ." Ultimecia said as they walked through the misty abyss.  
  
  
  
*A/n, Yeah I know, sucky chappie. Been busy lately and havent had a lot of time, thanks for reading this crap* 


	11. Breakdown

Ch. 11  
  
Breakdown  
  
Squall arrived in Balamb on the midnight train. Haunting images of Rinoa's death flooded his mind, as he gathered his things and walked into the station. He walked out onto the street, and was greeted by a host of soldiers, and General Caraway.  
  
"I've come for my daughter!" The General said in a menacing tone.  
  
"She is dead," Squall said, trying to mask his pain. Tears swelled in his eyes, so he lowered his head and tried to walk through the group of soldiers. Caraway grabbed his collar.  
  
"What do you mean, dead?" He asked.  
  
"DEAD! FINISHED! HER SPIRIT HAS LEFT THIS WORLD!" Squall screamed. Tears streaked down his cheek, and a pain swelled in his chest. The General lowered his head in shame.  
  
"I never got to apologize. I tried to control her life, and protect her from things like this. YOU! IT"S YOUR FAULT." The General cried. Squall screamed and dropped his suitcase. He tackled the elderly man, and began pounding his face with his fists. The soldiers pulled Squall off of him and held him at gunpoint. "That's enough boys, if Mr. Leonheart wants a fight, it's a fight he'll get," The general said, removing his formal jacket and overcoat. Caraway was in great shape for an old man, his muscles were almost as toned as Squall's. Squall removed his jacket as well, and took a fighting stance. General Caraway smirked.  
  
They began to pace a circle with each other, waiting for the first punch to fall. The soldiers formed a ring around them to block local people's view of the fight. Squall swung first, striking Caraway in the jaw. Caraway responded with a roundhouse kick to the stomach, Squall winced and grabbed his side. Caraway landed an uppercut to Squall's chin. Squall spat blood, but continued fighting. After taking more beatings, Squall began to dominate the fight. Jab, left hook, knee to the stomach, Caraway was on the ropes, and Squall was loving every minute of it.  
  
"I-NEVER-HURT-YOUR-DAUGHTER," he exclaimed, talking to the beat of his punches. "I-LOVED-HER! DON'T-YOU-EVER-ACCUSE-ME-OF KILLING-HER!" He stopped attacking, and Caraway collapsed. He wiped the blood from his face, and began to speak.  
  
"I realize that now, but don't make the assumption that you were the only one who cared for Rinny. She was my pride and joy, everything I did was to keep her out of harm's way." He said crying.  
  
"Yeah? So you hit her because you cared for her? Makes a lot of fucking sense." Squall scoffed, walking off. Caraway sat on the ground sobbing, he was guilt stricken for the way he treated his daughter. In a rush, he grabbed one of the soldier's handguns, and pressed it to his chin. A gunshot broke the late night silence.  
  
"Squall!" A young woman screamed from down the street. "Hi! Im Annalyse, Quisty sent me to pick you up." She said in a chipper tone. "What was that noise just now?"  
  
"No idea," He responded. They walked through the coastal town, without speaking very much. Annalyse asked about his wounds, but he never answered. As they neared the Seaside hotel, Squall was flooded again with memories of Rinoa. He also was worried about Connor and Kris, he never liked them very much, but he felt responsible for their fate. Something deep inside of him wished he would have never accepted this mission  
  
A/n: Look. Another shitty chappie, thanks Evansrin, and Quisty, and Anna, you guys are the only ones who have read this pitiful junk...keep reading...it may get better 


	12. The Armies

Ch. 12  
  
The Armies  
  
Lucas and Ultimecia walked through the misty plain. They didn't speak. They just walked north for about an hour. They neared their destination, and Ultimecia placed her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Lucas, my boy," She said smiling. "It's time to round up the troops." She raised her hand in the air, and the silence was broken by a crack of lightening. Five spirits appeared in front of them. The first was Haven, the second was Zell, then came Irvine Kinneas, General Caraway, Seifer, and a man in his late thirties.  
  
"Connor feels much affection for this group," Lucas commented. "The man on the end is his father. His death was my work."  
  
"Yes," She replied. "These will be the leaders of our army. With Kristin's power I can conjure and control any spirit on this plain." She waved and a sea of soldiers appeared behind the first five." Lucas and Ultimecia smirked.  
  
"Soldiers of the Army of the Dead, rise and meet your ruler," Lucas said in a serious tone. The mass of spirits stood in attention as Ultimecia began to speak.  
  
"For years your spirits have been stuck in Limbo." She began. "Serve me and I will make sure that you pass into the next realm with ease. We are bringing a war to the mortals, and you will be my servants." She continued. "The leaders of the first squadron will be leading their troops in search of a very special girl. The other squads will be bringing the fight to Balamb. All of you will be rewarded, for it is better to rein in hell, than serve in heaven!" The troops screamed an excited war call and manifested their weapons.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back in Balamb ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Squall awoke at 2:30, his dreams had been filled with images of his fallen comrades. He awoke with tears on his cheeks, and a pain in his stomach. The guilt swelled inside of him, and he felt like he could burst at any minute. He sat up and got out of bed, he pulled on his pants, and threw on a dirty T-shirt. He walked the serene halls of the hotel, as he made his way to the cafeteria he was surprised to see a light peeking from under the door. He edged it open, and saw Quistis sitting alone, sipping a cup of coffee.  
  
"Squall!" She exclaimed. "You're not having any luck with sleep either, are you?"  
  
"Yes I am. That's why I'm standing in the middle of the cafeteria at fifteen minutes til three." He said sarcastically, as he walked over to get some orange juice.  
  
"Well excuse the hell out of me," She responded, but the look of anger faded as she noticed Squall was crying. "I'm sorry, It's about Rin, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah," He said, picking out the perfect stale bagel from the cart in front of him. "But I don't wanna talk about it."  
  
"I figured you would say that," She said remorsefully. "I know how you feel."  
  
"How so?" He asked in disbelief.  
  
"Zell," She responded, with tears in her eyes. "We were seeing each other, and when I woke up in the hospital yesterday, I was outraged to hear that Cid pardoned Connor." Squall hadn't taken the time to notice she was covered in bandages. He had forgotten she had been tortured, and felt silly to be complaining about his woes.  
  
"I had no idea," Squall said, shocked. "I always thought you had a thing for me, but I'm kind of relieved." She punched him on the shoulder and began to giggle. They talked about their lost loves for hours, until they were interrupted by Annalyse.  
  
"QUISTY! SQUALL!" She screamed from the cafeteria door. "Awe, are we flirting with a student, Instructor?"  
  
"No," She shot, in anger. "Unlike you, I don't flirt with every thing that walks." Squall tried not to fall out of his chair, shocked  
  
"Ouch," Anna said, shocked. "I don't think I deserved that!"  
  
"Why not?" Squall asked coldly.  
  
"I lost someone I loved this week too!" She responded. Squall looked perplexed.  
  
"She thinks Seifer and she had some sort of 'connection'." Quistis said, laughing.  
  
"WE WERE IN LOVE!" She said as she ran out of the cafeteria crying. Squall and Quistis laughed, but were interrupted again, by Cid.  
  
"Nice to see you're both awake," Cid said with a smile. "Today we rally the troops."  
  
"Troops?" Squall and Quistis asked together.  
  
"Yes," Cid responded. "I've gathered every member of SeeD we have left, Edea called and told me that a spy in the Shadow Realm saw Kristin and Connor gathering forces. We will be ready when she makes her move."  
  
"How did they get to the Shadow Realm?" Quistis asked, looking shocked.  
  
"Kris is a Necromancer," Cid replied. "We've been binding her powers since she showed up 10 years ago. It was her father's last wish." Cid finished explaining and told Quistis and Squall to follow him outside, as they left the hotel a mass of one or two thousand men and women crowded the streets of Balamb. "This will do." Cid said as he began his speech. The forces of Good and Evil were gathering supporters, a war was coming to humanity, and Squall was caught in the middle of it.  
  
A/n: FINALLY, a chapter I like . . . things look crazy . . . btw . . . anna . . . you will be THAT annoying the entire time . . . 


	13. Ellone

Chapter 13  
  
Ellone  
  
Cid called Squall into his office. "Have a seat. We have some things to talk about." Squall looked confused. "As I mentioned earlier, there is a very special young woman who needs to be protected from Kristin. This young woman's name is Ellone." Cid paused to observe Squall's reaction.  
  
"Ellone," Squall thought. "Wasn't there a little girl in the dream world named Ellone? She was Raine's daughter." He noticed Cid staring at him, so he stopped thinking about the dream world, and decided to find out about the task at hand. "Okay, what is my mission?" He asked in a serious tone.  
  
"Ha," Cid chuckled. "You're still the same old Squall. You are to travel to my wives home, where you and two other SeeD officers are to protect Edea and Ellone. It is imperative that the enemy does not capture Ellone." Squall began to ask why, but remembered that a SeeD was not supposed to question a direct order. "I've decided to send Quistis and Annalyse to assist you, and once again, I am naming you squad leader." Cid continued. "Well, your train leaves at 18:00 that gives you about two hours to pack, I suggest you get to work." Squall nodded and stood to leave the office. "Oh, and one last thing," Cid said, as Squall was trying to leave. "Ms. Trepe informed me of this 'Dream World', My advice to you would be to forget it for now, who knows what kind of trick the sorceress is trying to pull on you." Cid said, trying to console the confusion that had flared in Squall's eyes.  
  
"Yes Sir!" Squall responded, turning to leave the room. He made his way to his hotel room, and he was surprised by Annalyse. She was waiting by his door dressed in battle gear with a packed suitcase.  
  
"Are you ready for our first mission together?" She said in an excited squeal. She began to bounce and repeat a singsong mantra to herself "On a mission with Squ-all, I'm on a mission with Squ-all!" Squall stared at her, confused. She blushed and got quiet.  
  
"Right, You realize the mission doesn't begin for about two hours right?" Squall said in an annoyed and confused voice. She nodded excitedly and smiled. "Well I'm pretty much packed, and I think I'm gonna go to sleep for about an hour." He said, yawning.  
  
"Ok! See you at the train station!" She exclaimed, she turned and hurried down the hallway. Squall heard her yell for Quistis just as he unlocked the door to his room. He chuckled as he walked into the dim suite. He pulled his Mp3 player out of his suitcase, and placed the earphones on his head. Hybrid rock blared into his ears, and a blissful smile stretched across his tired face. Before he could lie down for his nap, a shrill ringing sound pierced the blaring music. He collapsed onto the floor, and reality began to slip away.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Winhill~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Laguna was running down a deserted country road. He heard a woman screaming orders at the man he had been running from. "You get the girl, her stepfather is no threat to us." He froze, he knew what had to be done. Raine and the kids had to be saved.  
  
~"The kids?" Echoed a hollow female voice. "Laguna had kids? Who is Raine?"~  
  
Laguna ran as fast as he could, and got to the pub as the young man and middle-aged woman were making their way into it. "STOP!" He yelled, firing at them with his machine gun. He hadn't hit them, but they began to back away from the pub. Kiros walked out of the door of the pub, swinging the blades lashed to his hands. The sorceress' guard looked nervous, and Kiros smirked as the young man before him began to quiver. Laguna took his chance and ran behind Kiros into the pub. He found Raine and the kids huddled behind the bar. The kids were crying, and Raine was trying to convince them that everything was gonna be okay.  
  
"We have to go!" Laguna exclaimed.  
  
"Take the car," Raine replied "There isn't room for all four of us, but the kids can share a seat, I'll stay here." Laguna began to protest, but Raine pressed her finger to his lips, and whispered, "I love you." Laguna heard a body hit the ground outside, and shortly after he heard his friend grunt, and another body fall. Laguna became scared, he scooped the kids up in his arms, and headed for the garage in the back of the pub. He tossed his gun to his wife, and mouthed, "I'll come back for you," as he heard the door open. He busted threw the door to the garage.  
  
"Ok kids, everything is gonna be all right." He stretched the seat buckle over both children. "Just be calm." He heard his machine gun fire.  
  
"Mommy!" The girl screamed from within the car.  
  
"Your mom is gonna be fine, she's tougher than old Laggy ever thought about being." Laguna smirked as he started the car. "You alright, sport?" He asked his son, the boy could be no older than 4, but he smiled and nodded. "That's my boy! I want you to take this, I was gonna wait to your birthday next month, but desperate times." Laguna said as he removed a necklace from the console of the two-door sports car. He slammed on the gas and ripped out of the garage, without opening the door. Wood splintered onto the road, and the car sped away. "I have to get the kids to Cid's place, he will know what to do." Laguna thought as he sped down the country highway.  
  
~ "That necklace" Echoed Squall's voice. "It's just like mine, weird. Wait! Did he just say Cid?"~   
  
The dream world faded, and Squall awoke, more confused than he had been before 


	14. Cid's gift

Ch. 14  
  
Cid's gift  
  
Squall stumbled out of bed, he was still wearing his headphones, and the sound of his favorite band was still blaring in his ears. He wondered why the kid in the dreamworld had his necklace, and how Laguna and Cid knew each other. His thoughts were interrupted by Annalyse, pounding on the door.  
  
"Squall it's time to go!" She exclaimed. "Hurry up! I don't wanna be late for my first mission."  
  
"I'm coming," he replied. "Has Quisty already left?" He said, opening the door. Annalyse nodded excitedly. "You really are excited about this aren't you?" He asked as they walked down the hotel hallway. She responded by another excited nod. "What kind of weapon do you carry?" He asked as they reached the elevator. She reached into her suitcase and pulled an object wrapped in a satin cloth. She unwrapped the package to reveal an antique sword.  
  
"It was my great-grandma's. She was the first woman in the president's guard." Anna replied. " The handle is pewter, with gold inlay, the blade is pure silver, she used this during the vampire wars, used it to dust at least 100 vamps." Squall looked amazed.  
  
"Are you any good with it?" Squall asked, balancing the scabbarded sword on his index and middle finger. Annalyse kicked his hand and the sword flew into the air, she grabbed it, and in one swift motion unsheathed the weapon and pointed it at Squall's chest. As the elevator came to a stop, she removed the weapon from attack position, returned it to its scabbard, and attached the scabbard to her belt. Squall still didn't believe a girl like Anna had managed to take a weapon from him, she was at least six levels below him in SeeD ranking. They walked to the train station without speaking, Squall was shocked, and Annalyse was proud that she had managed to impress Squall.  
  
Quistis was waiting on them outside of the station. She looked upset. "WHERE HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?" She screamed. They tried to answer, but were cut off. "IT DOESN'T MATTER! JUST GET ON THE TRAIN. I HAD TO TALK THE ENGINEER INTO WAITING ON YOU!" Squall placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered an apology, he tried to explain about Dreamworld, but she told him that she had been there too. "I was standing outside the store over there, waiting on them to upgrade my whip, and it happened. I think Cid is right though, leave it alone for now." Squall nodded, and they boarded the train.  
  
About an hour later the train pulled into their destination, a remote station in the middle of the central grasslands. They walked out of the station, scanning the perimeter for their contact. A man holding a clip board approached them "Are you the SeeD team from Balamb?" He asked. Squall nodded and followed the man, they were led to a tractor trailer in the parking lot. The man unlocked the trailer and swung the doors open, they revealed two magnificent motorcycles, and an impressive sports car. The delivery man handed Squall the clip board and three sets of keys. "Sign here," he said pointing at a line on the paper. "All right, they're yours now."  
  
Annalyse jumped onto one of the bikes, but Quistis motioned for her to get off of it. She settled for the car that was parked in the back of the trailer. Squall and Quistis started their bikes and rolled them down a ramp, and off the truck, and Annalyse followed  
  
"Okay girls, the directions to Edea's place should be programed into the G.P.S. systems on your cars." Squall said to the others, using the CB radio that was mounted in his helmet. The ladies agreed and they began speeding to the west.  
  
"WOW!" Annalyse exclaimed over the radio. "It sure was nice of Cid to give us these. I bet he shelled out a lot of gil for them."  
  
"Probably," Quistis responded. "I was thinking about buying one of these bikes a few months back, they're about 1 million gil, and these look custom."  
  
"Nah," Squall cut in. "The man who owns the dealership in Balamb went to garden, Cid is one of his oldest friends, I bet he didn't pay much for them, but it was nice of him anyway. That must be Edea place up there." Squall got a weird feeling as they neared the seaside cottage. He didn't think they belonged there, but he dared not to express it. He suppressed his doubt as they pulled into the driveway, they had work to do.  
  
  
  
A/n: Fluffy, the next one will be better 


	15. Family Reunion

A/n: Squall's thoughts   
  
Chapter 15  
  
Family Reunion  
  
Squall and company walked into the small coastal cottage. Squall felt like he knew this place, the atmosphere was familiar, but the looks had changed. He couldn't remember anything about this place, but he knew something was off.   
  
"Hello?" He called into the quiet house. "Ellone? Are you here?"  
  
"SQUALL!" Screamed a young woman who had walked in from the back porch. "I am so glad to see you!" Squall recognized this woman. She had come to visit him in the infirmary the day after his training 'Accident' with Seifer. "Soldiers came for me," That explains the looks of this place "but I hid from them. In the confusion they took Edea, apparently we look alike." She continued. Squall had noticed that she did resemble Edea, she was about 5'7, slender, with an alabaster complexion, and dark hair. She was actually very pretty.  
  
"I know you!" Squall exclaimed  
  
"No shit?" She responded. "I know it's been a while since we talked, but I am your sister, I'd expect you to know me!"  
  
"Sister?"Quistis cut in. "Then the little boy in the dream..."  
  
"That's enough Quisty!" Squall interrupted.  
  
"Yeah I'm his sister, well half sister." Ellone continued."You can't honestly have forgotten me." Guess I did...weird  
  
"I'm sorry, but I don't remember you. I don't remember anything before I was enrolled in Garden. I don't even know who my parents are." Squall apologized for something he had no control over, and he resented her for making him feel like an apology was needed.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt the family reunion," Annalyse cut in, "but won't Cid be pissed when he finds out they took Edea?" The group nodded in agreement, Anna looked proud. Squall felt bad for treating her like an idiot, but sometimes she acted like it.  
  
As soon as those words left her lips, Squall's cell phone rang. Cid apparently knew all about the abduction, and had already formulated a plan. Within an hour Ellone was packed and ready to go, Squall felt as if he was running on empty. As he walked out of the seaside cottage, a swell of emotion swept over him. He had never really mourned the loss of Rinoa, and he collapsed in the driveway, and began to weep. Behind him Ellone was locking the door, as the deadbolt clicked, an explosion rocked the calm coast, knocking Ellone backwards, and engulfing the rest of the team in flame and debris.  
  
Ultimecia watched with glee as her opposition fell. Everything was falling into place. 


	16. The Last resort

Chapter 16  
  
The Last Resort  
  
Lucas and Ultimecia watched as the small cottage exploded. From within, Connor screamed in fear. He knew that his friends were his only hope. Only someone as powerful as Squall could defeat Lucas.  
  
"It doesn't look like Squall is in much shape to defeat anyone," Lucas' voice echoed within their head. "I'm glad to see you've regained some strength, that's the first time I've heard you speak since her majesty set me free." He said laughing. They had been watching from a ship in the bay. Lucas commanded the strongest of the resurrected warriors. Thirty men were under his command. One of his lieutenants was piloting the vessel. "Hector!" Lucas called. A young Trojan man stood before him and saluted."Hector how many times must I remind you? We are not part of the regular army. We do not salute, or notify rank in any way." He scalded the young lieutenant. "How is our prisoner doing?" The young man hesitated to reply.  
  
"S-sir, the prisoner is just fine," Hector replied. Lucas began to speak, but the young man kept going. "But I'm afraid we've taken the wrong one." He continued, with fear in his eyes. "On the plus side, the sorceress Edea is a fine catch"  
  
"FOOLS!" Lucas exclaimed as he stormed to the holds. Edea was sitting on a bench in her cell, waiting for her opportunity. Connor and Edea said the same thing as Lucas realized he had messed up.  
  
"What's the matter, asshole?" Connor's voice rang within their head, as Edea's resonated through the ship's prison.  
  
Back on shore Squall crawled from the rubble. His clothes were tattered and his body was covered in bruises and abrasions. A sharp pain shot through his torso as he tried to stand. One of his ribs was broken, but he couldn't let it stop him. His thoughts soon centered on his sister. Ellone had been closest to the house when it blew. Squall feared that his only living relative might have just died.   
  
He heard something stir under the debris. He ran to the pile of rocks and wood from which the noise had originated. He began digging furiously. He soon found Anna and Quistis. They were both still alive, but Annalyse was unconscious. Quistis smiled weakly, as she saw Squall's hands emerge from the heap above her. He helped her out of the wreckage, and then turned to Anna. He dragged her gently from the debris. Her clothes were badly tattered, as was her body.  
  
Quistis' eyes scanned the bleak surroundings. She was looking for Ellone. She began to ask Squall, but he stopped her after the first syllable.  
  
"I haven't found her yet," He answered intuitively.  
  
"Oh," Quistis replied quietly. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be," Squall said. "She's still alive. Stay here with Anna. I'm going to go find her."  
  
He stood slowly, wincing at the pain in his torso. His knees began to buckle, but he steadied himself. He slowly limped closer to the source of the explosion. As he neared where the house had been, he saw Elle's foot extending from the wreckage. He fell to his knee's and began digging again. Her face and upper body was badly burned, and her clothes had pretty much been blown off. He removed her from the ruin. He cradled her in his arms and carried her back to his friends. Normally, her weight wouldn't have been any trouble, but his rib made the load a heavy burden. He slowly limped back to Quistis. Annalyse had awoken, and was sitting up when Squall got back to them. He lay his fallen sister's body down in the rubble, and tried to hide his grief.  
  
"Is she. . .?" Annalyse began to ask, but Squall's reaction stopped her. "Never mind."  
  
Quistis began to examine Ellone's body. If she was dead there wouldn't be a lot she could do, but if there was any life left she could be healed. Her heart jumped as she felt a weak pulse. Quistis began to examine her pockets furiously. She found a small bottle of potion. She opened Elle's mouth and poured the liquid down her throat. Ellone coughed and her scorched face began to twitch. Miraculously, they had all survived.  
  
Lucas was furious, his men were the greatest of all warriors, and they could not manage to capture one idiotic girl? Connor laughed hysterically. The sound of the laughter enraged Lucas even more. Connor's strength increased as Lucas' anger worsened, and in true heroic form Connor emerged again.   
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Lucas screamed, but he could do nothing. Connor was in control now, and he was far too strong spirited to be stopped. Connor walked calmly to Edea's cell. He didn't speak to the guard. He unsheathed his sword, and struck the man down. Edea jumped to her feet in shock. Her eyes drifted to Connor, who stood smiling at the cell door. "Miss me?" He asked with a smirk.  
  
"You couldn't begin to understand how much I've missed you," She replied. He unlocked the door, and she ran out. She hugged his neck, but he pushed her off.  
  
"We have to keep up appearances. I'm going to take you to the live well. There's a release hatch that will dump you out into the ocean." Connor said.  
  
"Ah ha, and what exactly is a live well?" Edea asked, confused.  
  
" It's a small pool where we keep the fish we catch. If you kill them, they rot. Thus the term, live well." He answered with a chuckle. They made their way to the well. "Get in, I'll empty it." He said as they approached it. As the pool drained and Edea made her way out into the ocean, a female soldier rushed into the room.  
  
"Sir, the prisoner has escaped!" She exclaimed. "Why are you emptying the live well sir?"  
  
"Joan, my dear, you are relieved of your duties." He slashed at her, but his sword passed through her like cutting through a cloud. She hadn't been corporeal like the other soldier. He had forgotten that ghosts could only be killed in their solid, or corporeal form. The ghost floated through the ceiling. Connor knew that the other soldiers would be down shortly. He jumped into the draining well, and swam out into the ocean. 


End file.
